De Lisle

(Commando Carbine .45 Cal. Bolt Action Silent Carbine)

Article Contributed by: Mark Trope

Most small arms supplied to troops are considered general-purpose tools.  The standard infantry rifle serves well for the vast majority of soldiers.  The cook, clerk and mechanic are usually issued the same weapon as the grunt.  When a soldier’s mission is differs, then it is prudent to adapt the standard service arm to fit the requirements of the mission.  Sometimes, as in the case of horse mounted cavalry troops the modification was as simple as the alternate (side of the stock) placement of sling swivels and a turned down bolt handle.  In some configurations the sling swivels were simply deleted. Often Engineer units had rifles with a shorter barrel length.  Airborne troops are often issued a rifle that in most respects is standard, except some have a folding or telescoping butt stock.                                                                                         

Some governments made it a practice to issue old, obsolete arms to rear echelon units.  They felt these units had little chance of contact with the enemy could make due with rifles that while not considered new designs, were still functional. 

The above examples are very basic adaptations of standard arms to fill mission requirements.  It doesn’t take a lot of thought or effort to move swivels, adjust barrel lengths, or fit different stocks.  However, when a rifle is considered a “special purpose” tool, then more planning is required to deliver a product that can fulfill the mission. 

The term “special purpose”, as applied to firearms, denotes an arm designed within certain parameters.  Sniper rifles issued to field infantry units are a perfect example of wide parameter, special purpose arms.  A standard infantry rifle, specially selected for accuracy, is fitted with a side mount and scope.  The bolt handle may have to be turned down, and often the metallic sights are removed.   Such a rifle will handle 99% of infantry sniper requirements.  However, what if the mission requirements are very specialized, with narrow parameters?    

Suppose that a small, specially trained unit will operate behind enemy lines.  Their mission is very specific, they need to hit fast, disappear into the night and leave no residual evidence they were there. They must travel light and silently.  They need a short, handy, quiet carbine length weapon.   To insure that no residual evidence is left, empty brass can’t be scattered about.  What weapon could fill such a bill?  That was exactly the question the British pondered during 1942.

Where to find a ready-made, short, handy, silent, low recoil carbine for commando uses that wouldn’t scatter telltale brass?  The answer was it didn’t exist at that time.  The British realized they would have to build it themselves.  It makes sense to use a cartridge already in the inventory.  Additionally, it makes sense to use a readily available action and rework it.  However the specifications would require more then a simple rework.  Thus the De Lisle came to be. 

In 1942 William De Lisle and Sir Malcolm Campbell began to develop a weapon that would meet the requirements of the Ordnance Board.  By 1943 Prototypes were being prepared at the Sterling factory for submission to the board.  It was decided to use the 45 ACP round as it was already in use by the British.  They had quantities of Auto Ordnance Thompson’s and Colt 1911 pistols. 

The De Lisle Commando carbine is basically a SMLE fitted with a M1911 magazine, a spent brass holder that catches the empties as they are extracted and ejected, a 8 .27 barrel and a 2 inch thick suppressor/silencer.  A small forestock is under the suppressor.  The weight was 8 lb, 2 oz.  The rear sight was graduated for 50, 100, 150 and 200 yards.  The front sight blade had tapered protecting ears.

Since the 45ACP is subsonic, the De Lisle is truly silent!  The suppressor/silencer contains a series of baffles to muffle the sound of a round being fired.  The action was reworked to feed and extract the 45 round as quietly as possible.  Three factories were involved with building the De Lisle’s.  Since each specimen is virtually a “One Off”, minor differences will be seen in original, individual guns.

Keystone Arms De Lisle Carbine (Photo courtesy of Keystone Arms)

130 De Lisle’s were built.  They were extremely effective in terrorizing and harassing enemy troops.  Often an enemy sentry would just drop in his tracks, dead.  His fellow soldiers could not hear or see anything, yet a comrade was dead or wounded.  A search conducted to find the shooter found nothing, not even expended brass. Soldiers who were constantly wondering if they were to be the next victim of a silent, unseen enemy became less effective fighters.

While the De Lisle didn’t account for large numbers of physical causalities the psychological effect on the enemy was well worth the effort.